Plow tractor



U. NARDONE July 30, 1929.

PLOW TRACTOR 3 Sheets-Sheet Filed Aug. 11, 1927 Mari INVENTDR @zw. M24

July 30, 1929. u. NARDONE 1,722,440

PLOW TRACTOR Filed Aug. 11, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 U. NARDONE PLOW TRACTOR July 30, 1929.

Filed Aug. 11, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet II/ I I s/ill 4d A/a r2011 Patented July 30, 1929.

UNITED STATES UGO NARDONE, OFFONDI, ITALY.

' I I PLOW TRACTOR].

Application filed August 11, 192-7, Serial No. 212,331, and in Italy-August 26, 1926.

The present inventionrelates to tractor plows and more particularly to a tractor of the endless chain type to which blades are secured. It is an object of the invention to attach the blades to the chain in such a manner that the blades are vertically directed as they enter the ground. It is a further object .of the invention to provide. a track for the blades and chain to permit them to enter and leave the ground gradually while constrained to move in a. vertical direction. Further objects will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the tractor, parts not necessary for understanding of its operation being omitted;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the tractor;

Figs. 3 to 8 are detail views of the mecha nism for changing the angle of the blade with respect to the drive chain.

Referring to the drawing, particularly Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that a chassis 1 is mounted on wheels, two of which may be pivoted to form steering wheels. At tached to the chassis is a frame 2 which is slidably movable with respect to the chassis 1. A chain 3 is adapted to pass over sprockets 41 secured on the frame 2 and to be driven thereby. The sprockets 8 are driven from a gear 5 which in turn is driven from a gear on the main shaft (3. Secured to a counter shaft 7 are sprockets adapted to drive the wheels of the chassis which are mounted on axles 10. These axles are supported in journal-boxes 11, the latter members being slidably arranged with respect to the main chassis, being in engagement with arcuate rails 12. The axles 10 are connected to each other by a tie rod 13.

The journal boxes 11 are each provided with a stop member 29 which is normally held in engagement with the rail 12 by means of springs 14 but which may be disengaged from the rail by means of a cable 15 wound around a pulley 16 on the countor-shaft 7. In this manner the position of the frame 2 may be changed with relation to the chassis 1, that is, the frame 2 may be raised or lowered with respect to the ground. As shown in Fig. 1 the frame 2 is diamondshaped and is provided with flanges or guides 9 to guide the chain around the frame and sprockets 8.

The (rain is made up of a number of links, some of which, as indicated at 17,

are provided with an arcuate groove 22 and a recess in-which a movable abutment 23 is slidably mounted. Pivoted at 19 to each of the links 17 is a cutting blade 18 on the inner face of which is a tooth 21. The links 17 are supported on rollers 20 adapted to ride on the guides 9.

Referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that all of the blades on the under side of the frame 2 are vertically disposed with respect to the frame. As shown in Figs. 3 and 5 the tooth 21 on blade 18 is held against the rightend of the groove 22 by the sliclable abutment 23 which is pressed outwardly by spring 25. As the blades reach the lowest point on the frame 2 a spindle 25 is rotated by means of a pinion 27 secured thereto, the pinion 27 engaging a segment on the frame at its lowest point. The spindle 25 is provided with a cam as shown in Fig. 4, this cam engaging a shoulder on the abutment 23 to move it inwardly against the spring 24. This permits the blade 18 to swing to the position shown in Fig. 8 in which the tooth 21 moves over to the left end of the groove 22. In this manner the blades 18 are constrained to assume a vertical position at such times as they are entering and leaving the ground.

As the chain 3 passes over the upper side of the frame 2 the segment 28 on the blade 18 engages a rack on the frame 2 to move the blade to the position shown in Fig. 3, the coil spring 26 secured to shaft 25 and links 17 returning the cam to its original position and permitting the sliding abutment to return to the position where it is interposed in the groove 22 to hold blade 18 in the position shown in Fig. 3. The blades are thus permitted to approach the ground in a vertical position as explained heretofore.

If desired, the sprockets 8 may be provided with a spring connection between their driving shafts and the sprocket so as to yield in case the blades are subjected to excessive strains.

It will thus be seen from the above description that the cutting blades 18 enter the ground in a vertical direction and at the same time provide traction for the movement of the tractor. In this manner the blades perform the double function of cutting the earth and driving the machine forwardly. hi e this cutting does not coml tely in a is ground a uees it, in can:

see a is tanker works as a plea and gives a* fair indication of the nature of the soil to be plowed;

Although a preferred form of the invention has been described in detail, it may be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

That I claim is:

A plow tractor comprising a frame, an endless chain supported on said frame, means for moving said chain longitudinally with respect to said frame, a plurality of blades mounted on said chain, each of'thclinks to which said blades are pivoted having an arcuate groove therein; a tooth on each of said blades,- a slidable abutment on each of said links adapted when in one position to hold said tooth in one end of said groove, and means for Withdrawing said abutment topermit said tooth to assume a position at the other end of said groove and change the angular position of said blade with respect to said chain.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

UGO' NARDON'E. 

